ANOTHER ENGINEERING TRIUMPH.

Temuka Leader, Issue 369, 2 April 1881, Page 2

ANOTHER ENGINEERING TRIUMPH.

St. James’ Budget mentions that u the Hudson, River tunnel, which will connect New York and Jersey City, is advancing towards completion, and will, when finished, be one of the leading engineering achievements of the age. The length of the tunnel between its two ends at Fifteenth street, Jersey City and at Leroy street, New York, is 5500 feet, of which 3600 feet will be underthe bed of the river. Since the Hudson, is 60 feet deep at some points, andjsinceit was necessary that the roof of the , tunnel should be at least 20 feet beneath the bed of the-river, the descent into the. tunnel is .very steep, being 2 feet in a hundred on the Jersey side, and 3feet in. a hundred on the New York side. The. original plan of a single tunnel with two lines of rails has been abandoned in favor of two single line tunnels, each of which will be 18 feet high by 16 feet broad, the circular form being regarded as the most conducive to solidity of construction. The excavation and removal of the earth is affected byno«=»n» _ of .compressed air, which c the pressure of thei make*, the surface. ©A tne works so dry and solid that no external supports are required. This is the first time that compressed air as been used in a work of such dimensions, and the result so far has been very satisfactory.